[Contains Captain Marvel movie spoilers!]

In a recent blog post, I talked about Captain Marvel. In the movie, a powerful woman was being held captive without even realizing she was a captive. All it had taken was a few cleverly crafted lies, and she forgot who she was and what her true mission was. And the thing about the lies she believed that made them so effective was that she thought they were the truth. She didn’t suspect at all.

Once she was reminded of the truth, and realized it was the truth, she had the power to get out of her captivity, and be free, and be fully herself.

Doesn’t that sound good? Refreshing?

It is.

Lately I’ve been uncovering some lies I’ve believed that have been holding me back, as well. Some about myself, and some about God. I didn’t find them and get free on my own. I asked God to reveal lies I was believing, and, in various surprising ways, he did reveal them. And then I took action. I renounced the lies, and asked God to replace them with the truth.

It’s good to be free.

I highly recommend it.

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Are You a Spiritual Captive?

There’s a difference between being a spiritual captive and being a spiritual prisoner. The way to spiritual freedom is different for the captive.

“Jesus said he will set both prisoners and captives free. Prisoners are behind bars because of what they have done. Captives are imprisoned because of what has been done to them. The key for the prisoner is to repent and be forgiven. …  But the captive faces a different challenge altogether. Sometimes captives need to forgive others; sometimes they just need to use the authority given them to get out of captivity.”  

- From The Essential Guide to Healing, Bill Johnson and Randy Clark, (Chosen Books, 2011)

Jesus was sent to set free the captives oppressed by, among other things, lies.

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“He [God the Father] has sent me [Jesus] to proclaim release to the captives… to set free those who are oppressed.”

Luke 4:18 (NASB)
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So, ask him about it. Ask God to show you any areas of your life where you might be a captive without even realizing it.

It is so worth it to be free from the burden and constriction of unsuspected lies.

Because then not only can you live free, you can also help someone else get free.

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“This is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.”

Isaiah 58:6 (NLT)
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Recommended Reading

When God Doesn’t Fix It: Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn, Truths You Can’t Live Without  by Laura Story (Thomas Nelson, 2015) – This book is dedicated to blasting away some lies about suffering, and it is a treasure. It's the account of the life of award-winning musician Laura Story (remember the song Blessings?) and her husband Martin, before and after his surgery for a brain tumor.

I was prompted to look further into one of the ideas in Story's book, and I talk about it in this brand-new blog entry.

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Parting Words

I truly believe that one of the most hateful and harmful enemy tactics against our souls is lies. I think that’s why the armor of God includes two components to combat lies: truth for defense (Ephesians 6:14) and truth for offense (Ephesians 6:17). We need to use truth from God to destroy what is false (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

You don’t have to live with any kind of trouble for too many years to realize you need to use all the battle gear available to you just to stay free of all kinds of false beliefs about suffering and the people who are enduring it. My upcoming books are for this: To end the lies, to set captives free.

Wonder where you might be captive to some hidden lie that's holding you back?

Ask God to reveal it to you.

It's time to get free.

AmyLu

P.S. Do you know someone who might be interested in my emails, blog, or upcoming books? Share this email with them! All are welcome to subscribe at amylu-riley.com/subscribe

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AmyLu Riley is the author of 

Jesus as Healer: Miracles and Meditations in Luke.

Visit amylu-riley.com/new-book-coming for information about upcoming books.

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